AI Agents are Rewriting the Future of Banking Data, Says Smartstream
Intelligent semi-autonomous AI agents promise a powerful solution to many challenges with the financial space. But their need for good-quality data is also highlighting the shortcomings that remain within some institutions’ data architectures. This apparent chicken-and-egg situation is one that Thomas Steinborn, chief product and technology officer at Smartstream, believes can only be resolved by...
What digital asset and prediction markets are teaching traditional exchanges about availability, agility and time-to-market. New market structures and regulatory changes are forcing exchange operators to rethink the foundations of their technology stacks. Digital asset exchanges, prediction markets and retail-driven platforms have normalised 24/7 trading, continuous availability and rapid product iteration. In contrast, many traditional…
A-Team Group, organisers of the TradingTech Summits, are pleased to announce the inaugural ExchangeTech Summit London on May 14th 2026. This dedicated forum brings together operators of exchanges, alternative execution venues and digital asset platforms with the ecosystem of vendors driving the future of matching engines, surveillance and market access.
Welcome to the thirteenth edition of A-Team Group’s Regulatory Data Handbook, a unique and practical guide to capital markets regulation, regulatory change, and the data and data management requirements of compliance across Europe, the UK, US and Asia-Pacific. This year’s edition lands at a moment of accelerating regulatory divergence and intensifying data focused supervision. Inside,…
Intelligent semi-autonomous AI agents promise a powerful solution to many challenges with the financial space. But their need for good-quality data is also highlighting the shortcomings that remain within some institutions’ data architectures. This apparent chicken-and-egg situation is one that Thomas Steinborn, chief product and technology officer at Smartstream, believes can only be resolved by...
Prediction markets are finding early adopters in capital markets across brokers, exchanges, market makers, and infrastructure providers. Activity is most visible on the sell side, where firms are building access points, data services, venue capacity, and liquidity provision. Tradeweb’s partnership and minority investment in Kalshi, Robinhood’s build-out of Rothera Exchange & Clearing with Susquehanna International...
The democratisation of alternative data has been a recurring theme at industry conferences for several years. The arrival of capable large language models has accelerated it. Datasets that once required specialist teams to ingest and structure can now be parsed by anyone with a reasonable prompt; signals that once took weeks to extract can be...
The Deutsche Börse Group CSD’s partnership with Ondo Finance and 360X places tokenised equities and ETFs inside regulated European post-trade infrastructure, starting with US names – and sets up a two-way bridge between traditional collateral pools and on-chain venues. Clearstream has taken a visible step towards integrating public-blockchain assets into its institutional post-trade infrastructure, partnering...
The buy-side trading desk of the future is asset-agnostic and AI-augmented. The defining characteristic is an architecture where clean, joined-up workflows across all products allow an agentic overlay to function reliably. For investment firms, the priority is to establish these common foundational layers now; firms that remain trapped in siloed, asset-specific stacks will find that...
While 2025 saw its challenges, the year ended on a high for securities litigation in the US marketplace, raising the prospect of an expanded rebound in 2026. The latter part of the year saw four settlements that exceeded $200million in value in addition to a single, significant settlement reaching $740million, providing a late-year boost to...
The proliferation of electronic communications channels available to financial professionals and their clients has created a headache for compliance teams charged with mitigating against market abuse, insider trading and other illegal activities. In an era of heighted regulatory scrutiny, compliance teams are finding it challenging to put in place the appropriate systems and processes, particularly...
Data infrastructure specialist NetApp has released updates to its collaboration with Google Cloud, providing tools designed to assist customers in using enterprise data for artificial intelligence workloads. These innovations include the general availability of NetApp Data Migrator and the Google Cloud NetApp Volumes Flex unified service level. The updates allow for the management of file…
ISS STOXX has integrated Governance QualityScore data into its Corporate Rating system, combining sustainability signals with governance analytics to assist investors in screening and portfolio allocation. The system converts decile scores from the Governance QualityScore into a twelve-point scale ranging from A+ to D-. Users can access the updated ratings through an analytics dashboard, application…
ExtractAlpha has relaunched AlphaClub, its research workspace for investment professionals evaluating the firm’s quantitative stock selection signals and alternative datasets. The update introduces a redesigned interface, broader international coverage, and a workflow-oriented structure aimed at making signal discovery and evaluation more efficient. The platform is positioned as an environment where hedge fund analysts, portfolio managers,…
Private markets valuation and portfolio intelligence platform 73 Strings has launched a unified global operating model, which the company said “brings together the platform, people, and clients into one ecosystem”. This transition aligns global teams to support clients across private equity, private credit, venture capital and infrastructure, it said. “Private markets are entering a new…
SGX FX and Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) have launched a strategic partnership to improve global access to African currency markets. By integrating RMB’s liquidity engine into SGX FX’s global infrastructure, the collaboration aims to meet the rising international demand for electronic trading in emerging markets. This move strengthens SGX FX’s presence across the continent and…
BMLL has expanded its cross-asset research capabilities by making SpiderRock’s Options Print Set data available through the BMLL Data Lab. This integration allows institutional clients to analyse the relationship between options markets and underlying cash equity behaviour within a single, unified framework. By combining SpiderRock’s print-level analytics with BMLL’s historical data, users can better evaluate…
Trading Technologies International, Inc. (TT) has entered into a partnership with NZX, New Zealand’s primary exchange operator, to provide native connectivity for the launch of S&P/NZX 20 Index Futures. This collaboration allows market participants to access NZX’s equity, debt, funds, derivatives, and energy markets directly through the TT platform. By leveraging TT’s global distribution network…
Take Profit Trader (TPT), the futures proprietary trading firm, has implemented the Eventus Validus platform to manage trade surveillance across its global operations. The deployment aims to ensure that TPT’s community of over 90,000 active traders remains compliant with rigorous exchange and regulatory requirements. By integrating this institutional-grade technology, the firm strengthens its oversight of…
FIS has announced significant strategic advancements to its Cross-Asset Trading and Risk Suite, aimed at streamlining operations for investment firms of all sizes. The updated platform integrates order, portfolio, position, and risk management into a single, flexible system. By replacing disconnected legacy systems and manual processes, the suite allows smaller firms to access sophisticated trading…
SimCorp has unveiled Agent Launchpad, a new agentic AI ecosystem integrated into its SimCorp One platform. Announced at the SimCorp Global Summit in Copenhagen, the tool allows investment managers to deploy and manage AI agents from SimCorp, curated partners, and internal builds. The system is designed to automate complex operational workflows, including portfolio management, risk…
Horizon Trading Solutions has launched Horizon FixConnect, a new connectivity tool developed to accelerate the onboarding of clients and brokers. Built on the high-performance Aeron data infrastructure, the solution enables users to configure FIX connections via a self-service interface within the Horizon Trader Workspace. This integration removes traditional dependencies on IT and operations teams, allowing…
Trading Technologies International (TT) and the Mercantile Exchange of Vietnam (MXV) have signed an agreement to enhance MXV’s exchange connectivity services. Under the new collaboration, the global capital markets technology provider will supply the infrastructure necessary for MXV’s trading members and clients to access a wider range of international derivatives markets. The partnership integrates TT’s…
HQLAX, a digital collateral mobility specialist, has secured strategic minority investments from Broadridge Financial Solutions and Digital Asset as part of its Series C–1 funding round. This capital injection is intended to accelerate the company’s growth and facilitate the ongoing development of its technology platform. As part of the transaction, representatives from both investing firms…
STP Investment Services and CAPIS have announced a strategic partnership to provide a coordinated outsourced model for buy-side firms. This collaboration integrates CAPIS’ institutional trade execution with STP’s technology-enabled investment operations. The solution is designed to bridge the traditional gap between front-office trading and middle-office support, allowing investment managers to scale their businesses without the…
Avelacom, the ultra-low latency connectivity and infrastructure provider, has established a new Point of Presence (PoP) in AWS Stockholm, introducing an alternative route specifically designed to enhance connectivity between cloud trading environments in Tokyo and London. By using Stockholm as a strategic transit point, the new setup provides a more efficient path for institutional traders…
Xceptor has appointed former Pershing and Vanguard leader Sareena Dalla Brookshire to the newly created position of chief product officer to help the capital markets data automation specialist advance its artificial intelligence product programme. Dalla Brookshire, who has almost two decades of experience working in capital markets, is based in New York and will focus…
SOLVE, a provider of pre-trade data and predictive pricing for fixed income markets, has promoted Michael Pellerito to the role of Senior Vice President of Innovation. This appointment underscores the company’s commitment to integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning (AIML) into its product roadmap. Pellerito is tasked with accelerating the development of AI-driven capabilities to…
BMLL, the independent provider of historical market data and analytics, has announced a series of strategic senior appointments across its commercial and technical departments. These hires follow the company’s acquisition by Nordic Capital in October 2025 and are intended to scale global operations and accelerate expansion across equities, ETFs, and futures markets. The leadership team…
Trading Technologies International, Inc. (TT) has announced a leadership restructure with the appointment of a new Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Nick Garrow, previously the firm’s CRO, has moved into the newly created role of CSO. In this capacity, Garrow is responsible for driving sustainable growth across existing business lines and…
SimCorp has appointed Neslihan Yegul as Senior Managing Director for the UK and Northern Europe. Based in London, Yegul will report to Chief Revenue Officer Oliver Johnson, effective 20 April. Her primary focus will be supporting the company’s expanding client pipeline and deepening existing relationships within these key regions, which have seen significant growth since…
Moody’s Corporation has announced that Christina Kosmowski will take over as Chief Executive Officer of Moody’s Analytics in June. Kosmowski joins the firm with nearly 30 years of experience in the enterprise technology sector, having previously held senior leadership positions at several major global firms. Her expertise lies in scaling high-growth businesses and implementing customer…
ClearToken, the digital financial market infrastructure provider, has appointed Fernando Cerezetti as Chief Risk Officer (CRO) of its subsidiary ClearToken CCP Limited. The subsidiary is currently in the process of applying to the Bank of England to become an authorised Central Counterparty (CCP). Cerezetti will lead the development and oversight of the CCP’s risk management…
BPX, the UK FCA-authorised institutional venue for alternative assets, has appointed Charles McManus as an Advisor. McManus, the co-founder and former CEO of ClearBank, joins the firm to provide strategic guidance on scaling regulated financial infrastructure. His arrival coincides with a broader structural shift in global finance toward tokenised and decentralised models driven by blockchain…
BMLL, provider of harmonised historical data and analytics, has appointed Kevin Barrett as Senior Sales Director for Listed Derivatives. Based in the US, Barrett is tasked with driving the company’s expansion within the listed derivatives sector. This move follows a period of significant corporate development for the firm, including its recent acquisition by Nordic Capital…
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has appointed four senior financial services executives to its Board of Directors, reinforcing governance oversight across market infrastructure, risk, and post-trade operations. The new appointees – Roland Chai (Nasdaq), Massimiliano Ciardi (Citadel), Stephen Hood (Marex), and Georges Lauchard (Barclays) – bring experience spanning exchange operations, treasury and funding,…
OSTTRA, the global post-trade solutions provider, has announced four strategic appointments to its leadership and product teams. Nathan Ondyak joins as Chief Commercial Officer, Peter Altero as Chief Business Development Officer, Chris Licini as Buy-Side Strategic Relationship Manager, and Christian Kjaeldgaard as Product Design Director. All four individuals join from the London Stock Exchange Group…
BridgePort, an institutional coordination layer for crypto off-exchange settlement, has appointed Zane Suren as its Chief Revenue Officer. Suren will oversee the firm’s global revenue strategy, managing commercial architecture, pipeline development, and the expansion of the sales function as the network scales. Suren joins from Zodia Custody, the Standard Chartered-backed digital asset custodian, where he…
Veteran fintech executive Keith Todd has announced the launch of Sapphire Technology Group Ltd., a London-based firm designed to drive growth and profitability in global technology businesses. The company is built upon the “Sapphire Doctrine,” a repeatable framework of leadership principles developed by Todd over 30 years in the capital markets sector. This doctrine prioritises…
Finastra’s global head of data governance, Peter Vennel, has been elected vice president at data management professional group DAMA International. Vennel will serve a three-year term focusing on global strategy and member support for the association. The position involves chairing the Governance and Nominations Committee and participating in the Finance Committee to provide organisational oversight….
Transaction Network Services (TNS) has appointed Levent Mehmet as Managing Director for its Financial Markets business in the Asia Pacific region. Based in Singapore, Mehmet is responsible for overseeing the company’s regional strategy, sales operations, and client engagement. His leadership will cover established teams in Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, while also supporting the company’s…
A-Team Group Announces Winners of the TradingTech Insight Awards Europe 2026. These awards are designed to recognise excellence in trading solutions and services for capital markets and focus on vendors providing exceptional trading infrastructure, trading technology, and data solutions.
We are thrilled to unveil the winners of the 2026 A-Team Innovation Awards. These awards celebrate successful projects within financial institutions (both with vendor support and without) across the financial enterprise.
Voting in the 6th annual RegTech Insight Awards Europe 2026 is now closed. These awards recognise excellence in trading solutions and services for capital markets and focus on vendors providing exceptional trading infrastructure, trading technology, and data solutions.
